A Thoroughly Elegant Affair - Claire and Alan by Paul Kelly

Claire and Alan celebrated their wedding day in Rosedale House creating a relaxed vibe with a touch of elegance. With fabulous goodies from JC Catering, vintage style and decor from Pearl and Godiva and a bride with a flair for style today's wedding is a treat for your eyes!

Nearly time to head home but before you do, we have a little Freeday treat for you - the effortlessly elegant wedding of Claire and Alan in Rosedale House. The happy couple smiled through all the usual hiccups a wedding throws up - like a power cut that became a reason for candlelight dining, proving that every cloud has a silver lining and that no matter what happens your wedding will be fabulous! Delighted to be able to share this beautiful affair and the images of Paul Kelly.

Little did either expect that heading off on holidays 6 years ago to snowboard in Livigno in Italy, that their lives were about to change forever... "One of Al’s friends was friends with my friend. They both claim 50% responsibility for us getting together! Unfortunately I am not naturally talented as a snowboarder and ended up having a bit of a meltdown trying to get down a slope. Al managed to calm me down and eventually he got me down the mountain in one piece. The following night we shared a kiss and we were together or the rest of the trip. I thought it was just a holiday romance but Al asked me on a date when we got home and we’ve been inseparable ever since!"

Continuing the jet-setting theme of their relationship, Alan popped the question in another exotic locale... "We went to South America last Christmas for six weeks. On the second last week of our trip, while watching the sunrise on the Salt Plains in Bolivia, Al proposed. It was a complete surprise, as it was 5am in the morning freezing cold and we were on an organised trip in the middle of nowhere, having said that I was delighted and said yes. Al had a token ring and even asked my Dad before we left."

Claire and Alan had their ceremony in the Unitarian Church on Stephen’s Green in Dublin's fair city...We really wanted our ceremony to reflect our personalities as much as possible. We spent ages agonising over the music, readings and our vows so on the day it felt very moving and special. We had loads of help from ‘Musa’ the harmony group we choose to preform during the ceremony who helped us chose quite unconventional wedding music including songs by Lamb, Elvis and even Bjork!

Stopping traffic in style the newlyweds headed over to St Stephen's Green to have some intimate photographs taken with Paul Kelly.

How much are you loving Claire's style? I adore her bob, it's just phenomenal, and absolutely perfect for her old hollywood glam look - the vintage style gown, Paula Lawlor birdcage veil and feathery cape from Ted Baker, this bride knows how to put a look together. "I knew that I wanted a wedding gown, rather than a wedding dress, I chose silk as it just feels wonderful. My favourite part of my outfit was my head piece, I knew what I wanted but couldn’t find it anywhere (I am very fussy!). So it was wonderful to design it with Paula from scratch - I really enjoyed the whole process."

After a beautiful ceremony and trip around some of Dublin city centres most iconic spots for some snaps, Claire and Alan went to join their guests at Rosedale House in Shankill... We wanted an intimate, unusual venue close to Dublin, which could cater for about 70 guests for meal and then another additional 70 for a party in the evening.We were attracted to fact that the house had different rooms for people to hang out in depending on their mood, with almost a house-party feel!

We tried to involve our friends and family on the wedding day as much as possible. With talented friends and family helping us with hair, decorations, flowers, music, and photography, seeing so many familiar faces really helped us relax and enjoy the day.

After dinner by candle light, the bride, groom and guests shared some giggles over the speeches... The speeches were very special, heartfelt and hilariously funny at times. There was some playful heckling and involvement from our guests too, we even played speech bingo (thank you One Fab Day!). Niamh, one of my bridesmaids surprised us by reading a poem that she had written about us! The electricity in the venue came back on during our Groomsman’s Oisin’s speech - the timing was extraordinary!

The most special feeling for us both throughout the day was realising that everyone was there because of us. It seems silly to say but it’s an overwhelmingly special feeling. We were both taken aback throughout the day, we really were feeling the love from our friends and family.

With lots of favourite moments during the day did any particular one top the poll? "Both Al and I agreed that the ceremony was our favourite part of the day. I was very nervous about the ceremony in the run up to the wedding, I was worried that I would be too emotional and self conscious to really enjoy it. But in fact it felt very laid back; we even managed to have a few laughs. The ceremony really set the tone of the whole day for us, in a large part to Bridget Spain our chaplain, who really helped to put us at ease."

What advice would you give to brides and grooms planning their day? Make sure you have the day that you both want. Don’t let others dictate your day. Focus on the aspects of the day that excite you. I wasn’t fussed about having wedding favours, a wedding cake or throwing the bouquet etc so we just didn’t. Try to involve family and friends as much as possible and try not to get caught up in the hype! Focus on the real importance of the day and hire Paul Kelly to photograph your wedding! Paul did a fabulous job — he really put us at ease and we had loads of fun!

Congratulations to the happy couple, Claire and Alan - hope you're having lots of adventures together! And of course a big thank you to Paul Kelly for sharing his work with us at One Fab Day! Make sure to pop over to his website www.pkstudio3.com.